Announcing the 2026 Campus Sustainability Fund Annual Grant Recipients
From sustainable architecture to graduation accessibility and urban agriculture, this year’s Campus Sustainability Fund application cycle saw the wide scope and reach of sustainability at the University of Arizona. After a highly competitive review process, these four projects were funded by the Committee.
Congratulations to the 2026 Annual Grant recipients!
Learn more about each project by visiting our Funded Projects webpage.
Buffelgrass Adobe
Awarded $37,000
Department: College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture
Project Managers: Alex Scherotter and Sheehan Wachter
Project Advisor: Jacques Servin
Cap Down Get Down
Awarded: $30,000
Department: Student Affairs
Project Managers: Alexei Marquez and Ernesto Jacobo
ENR2 Living Laboratory
Awarded: $50,000
Department: Office of Research and Partnerships
Project Managers: Olivia Miltner and Maia Schneider
Rooftop Agrivoltaics Learning Lab
Awarded: $50,000
Department: School of Geography, Development & Environment
Project Managers: Greg Barron-Gafford and Brittney Palomarez
Tucson community members constructing buffelgrass adobe.
Students will get their hands dirty with the Buffelgrass Adobe project led by the College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture. This project will explore sustainable building methods through the integration of buffelgrass, an Arizona invasive species, into traditional adobe brick making.
With assistance from local professional David Walker, students will have the opportunity to participate in guided workshops centered on buffelgrass harvesting, adobe brick making and construction. Tucson Village Farms will then host the finished product of this initiative, a small structure for Tucson youth to play and interact with.
University of Arizona graduates in ENR2.
Sustainability can take many forms, which is exemplified by Cap Down Get Down led by Thrive Center’s Financial Wellness Initiative. This program will establish a graduation gown borrowing program for graduating seniors. The initiative seeks to further deconstruct barriers to graduation by lowering the financial burden that comes with graduation ceremonies and walking.
Cap Down Get Down aims to collect 400 graduating seniors' gowns through a voluntary donation program. The gowns will then be cleaned and maintained for future graduates to use in their ceremonies. This project will promote environmental sustainability through the reuse of graduation regalia and social sustainability, making graduation more financially accessible for students.
ENR2 building at the University of Arizona.
This year, two projects will take place in one of the University of Arizona's sustainability landmarks, the ENR2 building. The ENR2 Living Laboratory project seeks to highlight the sustainability features of one of campus’ most iconic buildings through installing educational signage and making thoughtful enhancements to the existing landscaping within the space.
Phase one of this project will include installing new plants to refresh the space while monitoring them, ensuring their long-term survival and success and enhancing the cooling effects of the building. Phase two will integrate the Diana Liverman scholars to develop educational signage throughout the building for visitors to enjoy for years to come!
School Garden Workshop students work in the garden.
Moving atop ENR2, the Rooftop Agrivoltaics Learning Lab plans to create a student-centered sustainable agriculture experience. Led by the School Garden Workshop, students will explore renewable energy, climate-adapted crops, and food production through peer-to-peer learning.
Shaded by solar panels, this rooftop urban agriculture plot will act as a homebase for School Garden Workshop interns to learn about renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and food resilience in arid environments on the University of Arizona campus. Through hands-on work, students will contribute to a multifaceted space of research, education, and community.
The 2026-2027 year will bring new and exciting sustainability projects to campus, building a more resilient future for the University of Arizona!